Electric release for target-traps.



' No. 819,505- PATEN'I'ED MAY I, 1906.

J. R. BIRCH. ELECTRIC RELEASE IOR TARGET TRAPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1905.

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JOSEPH RJBIRCH ANDRiw. s. GRAHAM cm mm-LlmoonAPbIE-Rs, wlsxuunmu. u. a

uniIID STATES PATENT oFFIon.

JOSEPH R. BIRCH, or Sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI. i ELECTRIC RELEASE EonTAfneET-TRAPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 28, 1905. Serial No. 276,078.

- lease for target-traps; and the object of my invention is to providemeans that may be readily attached to target-traps whereby thethrow-arm, that is operated by a stiff coilspring, is instantly andpositively released after it has been set in throwing position andprovided with a target.

My Invention consists in a housing that is secured to the frame of thetarget-trap, an electromagnet arranged in said housing, an armatureabove said magnet, and a hook in the upper portion of said housing forengaging the throw-arm and which hook is released by a downward movementof the armature.

My invention further consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of atarget-trap with my improved release engaging the throw-arm thereof.Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken approximately on the line2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken throughthe casing of the release. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on theline 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the baseof the target-trap, 2 the fixed arm, and 3 the throwarm.

4 indicates a housing approximately rectangular and provided at its topwith a laterallyprojecting plate 5, that engages over the fixe arm 2 ofthe trap near the outer end thereof. A screw .5a passes through thisplate and rigidly secures the housing to the arm 2.

an electromagnet in the form of a pair of coils 5b, and arranged abovethe cores of said` coils is an armature 6, the same being pivoted at oneend, as indicated by 7, and a small expansive coil-spring 8 normallyholds said armature out of contact with the cores of the magnet-coils'6. Formed inthe top of the.

armature 6 is a notch 9. Arranged to swing I upon a .pin 10, located inthe top of thehous- Ing 4, is a vertically-arranged lever 11, the

atenten may 1, i906.

lower end of which is. adapted to engageln the notch 9 of the armature6. This lever projects a short distance above the top of the housing v4through anv opening therein, and formed integral with the upper portion'of said lever is a laterally-projecting arm 12,-

that is provided with a hook 13 on its outer end. The top of this arm 12lies in the same plane with the top of the housing 4 and is of such alength as that the throw-arm 3 will fall between the upper end of thelever 1 1 and the hook 13. When the throw-arm is swung around intothrowing position, it rests directly on top of the arm 12, being held bythe hook 13, and the lower end of the lever 11 is engaged in the notch9. A leaf-spring 14 is secured to the inside of the housing 4, its freeend engaging against the lever 1 1 immediately beneath the pivot-pin 10, and the normal tendency of said spring is to rock the lever upon saidpin 10, so as to move the hook13 downwardly below the path of travel ofthe throwarm 3. battery 16 to one of the coils 5b, and-a wire 17 leadsfrom the opposite side of the battery to the opposite coil 5b, and thereis a circuitcloser 18, preferably in the form of a pushbutton, locatedin this last-mentioned wire.

The operation of my improved release is as follows: When the circuit isopen, the expansive coil-spring 8 holds the armature 6 elevated awayfrom the cores ofthe coils 5b, and when the throw-arm 3 is swung aroundinto a throwing position it is engaged by the hook 13 and the lower endof the lever 11 is engaged in the notch 9 of the armature 6. When it isdesired to release the throw-arm to throw the target carried thereby,the operator closes the circuit by operating the pushbutton 18, and inso doing the electromagnet is energized, pulling the armature 6downwardly, and thus releasing the lower end of the lever 10. The pullof the throw-arm exercised against the hook 13 now causes the arm 12 andlever 11 to swing upon the pin 10, Arranged in the bottom of the housing4 is and thus said throw-arm is released. The end of the armature 6 isprojected through the opening in one side of the housing 4 in order thatthe Vrelease Inay be mechanically operated by the operator, whopositions the Atargets in the carrier of the trap if for any One end ofa wire 15 leads from a IOO IOS

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the switch 18.

A device so construetedis simple, inexpensive, very ositive in action,is readily set to holdkthet Aovv-arm, and instantly. releasing the same.

I claimv The combination with a target-trap, of a the side of whichhousing is formed an .aper ture, a vertical arm pivotally mounted in thehousing with its upper endproj acting through an opening in the topofsaidl housing, a' laterally-projecting arm integral with the verti-`cal arm, a lug integral with' the outer end'o` the lateral arm,which lugproj ects 4through the subscribing witnesses.

'opening in the top of the housing, magnetcoils Alocated within thehousing, means whereby said coils are energized, and anarmaturearnangedabove.said coils, in the top side of which armature isformed a notch tok receive the lower end 'of the vertically-arranged armwhen in a normal position, and

'the lv"free end of the armature projecting l s through the opening inthe side of the houshousing secured'to' the 'frame' of the trap in' iing; substantially as specified.

n testimony whereof I khave signed my name tothis specification inpresence of two JOSEPH 'Ba-BIRCH. Witnesses P. ``-Siwrrn, E. M. vHARRINGTON.

